We have received great feedback about our Lighting Library iPhone App, which was released in April. (If you haven’t already checked it out, you can download it here). Since so many people found the Lighting Library app helpful, we decided to compile a list of the most useful, intuitive, and cost-effective iPhone apps for home improvement professionals.

There’s something for everyone: the interior designer whose client needs help selecting a paint color, the contractor who is trying to keep track of projects while on-the-go, or even the handyman who could use a lighter toolbox. Screenshots for each app are at the bottom of the post. Happy reading! Leave a comment if you think of any we missed.

Timewerks allows you to track billing for multiple clients and projects with customizable rates. It’s extremely easy to update hours of labor and to add notes to a project. You can also automatically create and email invoices through the app.

You can complete bids, estimates, layouts, and plans with the help of BuildCalc. Easily convert between dimensions, calculate the area of a room, find the degrees of an angle, determine the amount of material needed for a roof… the list goes on and on. Find out more about BuildCalc in the MacWorld App Guide.

If you don’t need all the functionalities of the BuildCalc but would still benefit from a conversion calculator, check out the inchCALC+. It’s a simpler, more affordable app at $4.99, but is still an excellent pocket tool.

Ever been inspired by a color you see? With these apps, you can match up any color from an iPhone photo with its closest shade of paint instantly. The possibilities are endless! Paint your bedroom the color of a beautiful sunset. Match the walls of your basement to the exact hue of your alma mater. Copy the shade of your neighbor’s newly redone kitchen and pretend it’s a coincidence.*

*Both these apps are recommended as starting palettes. Since iPhones do not have extremely high quality cameras, the results of the recommended paint colors may not be 100% accurate. You should visit a local Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore retailer to match the exact color, depending on the app you choose.

Timewerks

BuildCalc

Ben Color Capture

ColorSnap

iHandy Carpenter

InchCalc+

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Emily graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism. She enjoys scouring the news to report on the latest in the lighting industry as well as bringing valuable remodeling tips and exemplar home projects to light.